Smart Materials

Summary

Using insights from geometry and physical simulation, we can alter the behavior
of materials to meet functional goals. For instance, we can cut slits into a
solid, inextensible sheet of material to allow it to expand, and then by
carefully designing these cuts, we can ensure the sheet pops into the curved
surface of our choice when it is stretched. Or, we can design fine-scale
microstructure geometry to create a 3D printed object that deforms in useful or
surprising ways when forces are applied.

This approach to tailoring materials, known as metamaterial design, can enable
exciting new fabrication methods and produce new classes of lightweight, robust
designs. This project seeks to develop computational techniques and tools such
as efficient PDE solvers and shape optimization algorithms to advance metamaterial
research on several fronts.

Deployable structures: we are developing new classes of structures and
computational design tools to facilitate the rapid fabrication and deployment
of curved surfaces.

Microstructure design: we aim to formulate new optimization-based algorithms to
efficiently explore surface and volumetric microstructure designs that satisfy
fabrication constraints and produce a broader class of behaviors. We also seek
a better understanding and greater control of how these materials behave under
large deformations.

Robust structures: we wish to develop more advanced failure criteria and
corresponding optimal design tools to generate microstructures that are more
resilient under unknown use cases.